War About To Be Declared: The NFL vs. Jerry Jones (and some free advice if the Nuclear Option is invoked)

One of the intriguing and lingering backstories while this season is going on is the continuing discussions regarding the extension of the contract of Commissioner Roger Goodell.

It is clear to most anyone that, for one reason or another, Jerry Jones has been opposing Roger Goodell and his present disciplinary powers.

Well, today, two developments which indicate the league might be about to have had enough of the Dallas Cowboys under the ownership of Mr. Jerry Jones:

First, this statement from the NFL's Compensation Committee, from Deadspin's report on the subject:

"The committee is continuing its work towards finalizing a contract extension with the commissioner. The negotiations are progressing and we will keep ownership apprised of the negotiations as they move forward. We do not intend to publicly comment on our discussions."

The NFL had a unanimous agreement that this six-owner committee (owners of KC, NE, ATL, PIT, HOU, and the Giants) would make the decision as to how much Goodell would make on his new contract, etc.  The committee sent a letter indicating fines, draft picks, and suspending Jones could happen.

(*chortle*  Fines.  Asshole's paid a half-million dollar fine each of the last two seasons and another fine the season before those (it is not clear as to whether the three suspensions to trigger the team fine have to all be concurrent!), see below!)

These owners want Goodell's pay to be more commensurate with performance (Roger's not happy with this), and Jerry may want Roger out entirely!

The owners are trying to get Jerry to shut up -- and the second development is that CBS Sports is reporting the owners are actually discussing "conduct detrimental to the league" charges against Jerry Jones.

The discussions, by no means, have gotten to any "likely" scenario yet.  That said, they should.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has even proposed an option that they could force Jones to sell the Cowboys by throwing Jones out of the league.

To that end, I make the following charge of why Jerry Jones has been guilty of "conduct detrimental to the National Football League" more so, at least in this way, than any other owner currently in the league:

Since the beginning of the 2014-15 season:

• August 29, 2014:  Jakar Hamilton, 4 games for the drug policy.
• September 2, 2014:  Josh Brent, 10 games for a manslaughter conviction.
• April 22, 2015:  Greg Hardy, 4 games (appealed from 10), domestic violence.
• July 2, 2015:  Orlando McClain, 4 games, drug policy.
• August 28, 2015:  RJ McDill, 4 games, drug policy -- triggering a team fine.
• February 19, 2016:  Randy Gregory, 4 games, drug policy.
• June 30, 2016:  DeMarcus Lawrence, 4 games, drug policy
• June 30, 2016:  Rolando McClain Strike 2, 10 games -- triggering a second team fine, this one of $500,000!
• September 29, 2016:  Randy Gregory Strike 2, 10 games
• November 20, 2016:  Rolando McClain Strike 3, one year.
• December 2, 2016:  Rolando McClain thrown out of the league for a FOURTH drug offense.
• January 5, 2017:  Randy Gregory Strike 3, one year.
• April 21, 2017:  Shaquelle Evans, 4 games, drugs
• June 28, 2017:  David Irving, 4 games, drugs
• July 28, 2017:  Damontre Moore, 2 games, drugs
• August 11, 2017 (first game finally served Week 10):  Ezekiel Elliot, 6 games, domestic violence. -- another $500,000 fine.

By the rules of the Club Remittance Policy, that is the record Jerry Jones has had the last three full seasons and this one -- SIXTEEN SUSPENSIONS, eleven players, 102 games and a life ban.

If the NFL owners need any evidence of Jerry Jones committing conduct detrimental to the league far more than any other owner in the league, here you go.